


Lotus in bloom

by Quente



Category: Free!
Genre: F/M, M/M, More of the gayest het fic ever, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-03
Updated: 2014-04-03
Packaged: 2018-01-18 01:44:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1410391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quente/pseuds/Quente
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I promised HaruRin smut. I promised MikoGou making out. I promised to ease Makoto's broken heart (I did my best to find a guy with a girly name, ok). So here it is, an emotionally pronny sequel to the story <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/1392367/chapters/2917129">Lotus in the fish pond</a>.</p><p>  <i>"Rin. Give me your jacket," Haru said, stepping up to him.</i></p><p>  <i>“WHAT? What kind of ridiculous -- “</i></p><p>  <i>“I don’t want to support you wearing Iwatobi colors. Come on, take it off quickly.”</i></p><p>  <i>“NO WAY WILL I -- I’ll be cold!”</i></p><p>  <i>“Whatever, you can have my coat. Come on.”</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Lotus in bloom

“Happily ever after” was actually pretty annoying, Gou thought to herself. Five days before Nationals, Gou was sitting slumped on a bench watching yet another joint practice when Haru emerged from the water to plod over and slump beside her. 

Immediately after Mikoshiba and Gou went to the festival, Samezuka began their Nationals training. Because of that, Gou’s time with Mikoshiba dwindled to nothing, interspersed only by joint practices. Even then, she saw him mostly from across a pool full of thrashing arms and legs.

It was small consolation that Haru was in the same boat. He at least got called upon to practice, and sometimes swam beside HIS boyfriend; the most Gou could do was support Mikoshiba from the sidelines.

That day, Gou was engaged in watching her boyfriend from afar. Mikoshiba was in his Speedos again (“My legs feel weird with cloth over them. I’ll only wear the legskins for you,” was his explanation), towel over his shoulders, far across the pool while he looked over a training schedule.

“Why is my brother training so hard if he’s not competing?”

“He’s an alternate for relay.”

“So there’s a chance he might compete in Nationals after all?”

Haru nodded, his eyes following a flash of auburn hair as it streaked across the pool, butterfly style. “His time is improving. He’ll be happy.”

Gou sighed, bringing her hands to her face. “This sounds terrible, but I can’t wait for Nationals to be over.”

Haru turned his head and met her eyes, a look of understanding in his. “Me too. Then I can swim together with Rin again.”

“Swim? Ah...I wasn’t even thinking about that.”

Another tiny glimmer of a smile. “Neither was I...mostly.”

Far away from them, Gou watched Rin pulled himself out of the water, his body shaking off bright drops of water as he walked over to Mikoshiba to check his time.

Mikoshiba reached out to tousle her brother’s wet head, smiling with fierce approval at Rin’s time. Gou really wished she could strangle her brother just then.

Staring across the pool, Haru’s expression was a little annoyed too. “One week to go.”

~

Three days before Nationals, a new person stepped out onto the school roof at lunch.

“You came,” Rei said, looking up from the bento he was unpacking for Nagisa (“It contains low-fat, high-protein foods calculated to build Nagisa-kun’s muscle density,” Rei explained to them at some point, a little shyly).

The boy was tall and lean. Staring up at him, Gou pondered that his musculature looked less like a swimmer’s marine-animal sleekness and a lot more like the bunched strength of a wild horse. The boy had slightly darker blond hair than Nagisa’s, and gave them all a shy grin. When he didn’t introduce himself, Rei did.

“This is my classmate from the track team. His name is Sugihara Akira. He specializes in vaulting.”

...That accounted for his body, Gou thought.

“Nice to meet you all.” Sugihara folded up his long limbs and sat, a bit uncertainly, beside Rei.

Haru’s expression was curious at first, and then Gou saw his eyes shoot directly toward Nagisa, who was doing his best to look innocent.

“Ah, Aki-chan! Nice to see you again!” Nagisa grinned. “So, did you bring your lunch? Oh -- we should tell you who people are. The super-cute girl here is Matsuoka Gou, the swim team manager. Hands off! Her boyfriend is fierce! ...And this one here is Nanase Haruka. He’s weird, so don’t worry if he doesn’t talk much.”

“Nagisa!” Makoto laughed. “Be polite.”

“Ah, and _this one_ is Tachibana Makoto.” Was it Gou’s imagination, or did Nagisa place special emphasis on Makoto?

Sugihara’s eyes went to Makoto and seemed to soak in everything at once, from the sweet yet slightly dazed smile to the deltoids emerging from Makoto’s summer uniform sleeves, to the lean legs neatly hidden in school pants. Then Sugihara smiled, his eyes going just a little thoughtful. “I’ve seen you somewhere before, I think.”

“Ah, have you? Maybe at the grocery?” Makoto scratched his head. “Or the pet store?”

“No, it was field day. WAIT. We wrestled together! Do you remember?”

Makoto’s eyes widened, and then he laughed. “Ah, you were tough to pin down! My strongest opponent, even though neither one of us were any good at it.”

“I remember I was lying beneath you before long, though,” Sugihara said, shaking his head. “And I thought you’d be weak because you weren’t a vaulter. I was wrong!”

Makoto simply laughed, flexing his arm muscles victoriously. “Never underestimate a swimmer!” His smile brightened, and Gou watched as Sugihara’s eyes took in that smile.

“We should have a rematch, now that I know what I’m up against,” Sugihara said, and Gou could swear that he was blushing the tiniest bit. “...I remember you because when we were wrestling, I noticed that you and I have the same color of eyes. It’s rare, in Japan.”

“Ah!” Makoto leaned close, curious, and stared into Sugihara’s eyes for a moment. “...Ahh, you’re right! It is rare to see that shade of green.” He smiled again.

Gou blinked when Haru suddenly stood. “Makoto. I’m not hungry today. You can share my bento with Sugihara-kun.” 

“Eh? Haru?” Makoto stared after him as he walked off, but Nagisa waved his hand.

“There’s no accounting for Haru-chan, don’t worry about it. Ah, can I have some of that too? It looks pretty good! But that’s what we can expect from your mother, Mako-chan! She makes the best bento…”

After that, Gou saw Sugihara more and more often on the roof. He seemed to make Makoto brighten up, and the way he teased Makoto about swimming got them into good-natured scuffles all the time.

Haru didn’t avoid the roof after that, but he did seem to fall silent more often, and Gou caught him staring at Sugihara and Makoto as if watching a very strange movie he wasn’t sure he liked.

~

Finally the morning before Nationals came. It was being held in their prefecture this year, so Iwatobi had the luck of getting to travel there to support their prefecture’s teams. 

Early that morning, Gou, Haru, Nagisa, and Rei headed to Samezuka to see them off.

Mikoshiba emerged from the dorms and waved, walking straight to Gou. “You came!” Mikoshiba’s smile was bright, and Gou was so glad to see it at close range that she grinned right back. “I’m so glad. I look forward to seeing you there. I wish I had time up there to take you to dinner or something, but I’m afraid I’ll have to be with the team.”

“It’s okay,” Gou said. “I wasn’t expecting it anyway. Do your best, Mikoshiba-buchou!” 

“A-about that.” Mikoshiba herded her to one side, away from her teammates, touching her arm softly. “I call you Gou-chan, and...I wouldn’t mind if you called me something else, sometimes.”

Gou’s face heated up immediately, and she fought the urge to hug him. Instead, she stepped forward so that she could lean up and say it softly into his ear. “Fight hard...Seijuurou-san.”

Mikoshiba made a small incoherent noise and his hands immediately wrapped around her shoulders. Gou wondered if she’d be attacked right there in broad daylight, in front of both their teams, but Mikoshiba seemed to force himself to let go of her, stepping away.

“I...I can’t wait until Nationals are over and I can see you again,” Mikoshiba said, his voice warm. “And I never thought I’d wish away a swimming competition.” 

Gou felt incredibly relieved that she wasn’t the only one feeling that way, but she decided not to admit it. “Quit thinking like that, _buchou_! You have to go and make us proud.” 

“I’ll do my best.” 

“Buchou. Stop grinning at my sister like that,” Rin growled, heading toward them. He came to a halt in front of Haru. “Where’s Makoto?” 

“Track meet.”

“Eh?”

“I’ll tell you later. Rin. Give me your jacket.”

“WHAT? What kind of ridiculous -- “

“I don’t want to support you wearing Iwatobi colors. Come on, take it off quickly.”

“NO WAY WILL I -- I’ll be cold!”

“Whatever, you can have my coat. Come on.” Haru stepped forward, and by force, managed to get a struggling Rin out of his jacket, depositing the Iwatobi blue one in his arms in exchange.

Mikoshiba laughed, and blushing just a little, slid his arms out of his coat too. “Good idea, Nanase. Gou-chan, would you wear this for me?”

Gou took the large garment, and hesitating a moment, slid it over her arms. The sleeves were so long they hung to her skirt hem, and she felt like a little kid. But when she looked up, she saw that Mikoshiba’s eyes were wide and his cheeks flushed.

“Ahh I -- I -- I should get on the bus,” Mikoshiba mumbled after a moment, turning away. “Thank you, Gou-chan!” 

“O-okay,” Gou said in return, wondering if she’d be able to wear the warm garment all day. But something in Mikoshiba’s expression said she should probably try...

“Ahhh -- yeah, I should get on the bus too,” Rin said, and the husky note in his voice made Gou turn to look.

Haru was sliding his arms into the Samezuka jacket. It was a tiny bit large for him, but not by much. He zipped it to hide the Iwatobi shirt beneath, and raised his head to meet Rin’s eyes.

Rin was _staring_.

The tension between them was palpable, and Rin’s cheeks were red as he growled out, “I’ll see you there, Haru.”

“I’ll be waiting for you, Rin.”

~

“KAMPAI!” Two days after Nationals, the clink of glasses rang through Haru’s house, followed by laughter and congratulations. The small Samezuka victory party was underway, and all the usual suspects (plus a few more) were gathered to celebrate.

“It’s just so cool that you got to swim, senpai!” Nitori was there, sitting between Rin and Mikoshiba, clutching the bronze relay trophy like it was the best thing he’d ever seen. 

Due to a teammate’s injury, Rin got to swim in the relay, but he was forced to swim his least favorite stroke, breast. Despite that, the team managed to pull off a third-place win. 

“It felt great,” Rin admitted, and then caught Haru’s look. “But, you know, not TOTALLY great.”

Dangling around Mikoshiba’s neck was his own silver medal for freestyle. He ducked his head, surreptitiously looking down at it again, and then back up to meet Gou’s eyes. He’d honestly never felt more proud of his accomplishments than just then, seeing her expression. He smiled at her, thinking to himself, _I also swam for you_.

As if understanding his expression, Gou smiled back. She was wearing his Samezuka jacket that night, and the cuteness of the small girl in the large jacket twisted at Mikoshiba’s heart. Parties were fun and all, but he’d give anything for an hour alone with his girlfriend.

“Guys, we should play a game!” Nagisa announced brightly, bringing out the dice for truth or dare.

“Nagisa-kun, not tonight, please,” Rei begged. “Can we just relax and celebrate?”

“Rei-chan, you’re no fun at all! Don’t you guys want to learn more about Ai-chan and Aki-chan?”

Sugihara sat to one side of the room a little shyly, his lanky figure sticking out from behind Makoto. Everyone turned to look at him, and he shrank back even more, face flushing. “Ah, what about me?” Sugihara said, laughing a little nervously, “There’s really nothing much to know. I’m pretty ordinary.”

“What are your intentions?” The calm voice floating out across the room stilled it instantly to silence. 

“-- Haru-chan, you sound like Makoto’s father, all of a sudden! What’s with that? Anyone could just look and see what his mmf! --” Rei’s hand shot up to cover Nagisa’s mouth.

“Haru,” Makoto sighed, hiding his face behind his hand.

“Are you planning to date Makoto?”

“Haru, what the fuck are you asking?” Rin rose, walked over to Haru, and put a hand on his head.

“You heard me. I want to know about you, Sugihara. Start talking.”

Sugihara peeked from behind his own hands at Makoto, who sighed and leaned back enough that he bumped Sugihara’s shoulder.

“Haru. Akira and I are dating now.”

“I didn’t give my approval yet,” Haru huffed, sounding so much like an annoyed parent that everyone started to giggle.

“I’m sorry, Akira. I knew he’d be like this. I should’ve told him sooner.”

Rin crouched next to Haru and reached for his face, gripping it to turn and meet his eyes. “What’s your issue, anyway?” The unspoken words that everyone could hear were, _Don’t you have me_?

Haru’s expression changed very subtly. First to surprise, then understanding. “Would you let your sister date just anyone?”

“...Hang on a minute now,” Mikoshiba growled, leaning over to give Haru a playful shove. “Anyway, I think I smell the mackerel burning on the grill. I think you should go check it, Nanase!”

Haru immediately jumped up and headed to the yard.

Makoto shook his head, laughing. “No wonder you’re a captain, Mikoshiba! But actually, Akira also has his own victory to celebrate.”

“Ah, no need to bring that up,” Sugihara said, still huddled as small as a large boy could be behind Makoto, his face as red as a beet under his blond hair.

“He won first place in vault at the last meet!”

They all clinked glasses again, and finally the party got going. 

Toward the end of the night, after food, much cheerful arguing, a dance-off between Nagisa, Nitori, and Rei, and several competitive rounds of video games, Nitori and Nagisa were finally sprawled asleep under the table. Rei was rubbing his eyes nearby, and Haru and Sugihara were facing off via an ancient version of Street Fighter.

“KO,” Haru said calmly, wiggling his fingers over the controls.

“I didn’t even know that guy had that move! Is that even fair?!” 

“How could you not? Makoto. You can’t date him until he beats me at Street Fighter.”

Rin and Makoto were not in the room, though. They were standing together on the balcony talking in low voices, but Gou couldn’t quite hear what they were saying.

“Gou-chan,” Mikoshiba whispered. “They’re finally all distracted. Let’s go for a walk.”

“Good idea.” Hand in hand, they slipped out the back door and headed up the steps toward the shrine.

They found a seat on a bench together overlooking the water, and before long, Mikoshiba’s arm was over Gou’s shoulder.

He felt so warm.

Gou leaned against Mikoshiba and tugged him down to kiss his cheek. “I’ve missed you for a month now. It’s bad. Even though I said brave things about Nationals, I was secretly wishing it away too.” 

“Gou-chan... Here we are now, finally.” Mikoshiba’s fingers slid under her chin, and his lips met hers.

It felt like such a sweet relief to feel him again and be enveloped by his smell and taste and touch that Gou pressed the kiss a little further. After a long moment of lips softly grasping lips, she heard him groan, and felt herself hefted up onto his lap.

“May I?”

“Mhm.”

This time, their eyes met before their lips did, and Mikoshiba leaned his forehead on hers. “I’m so lucky. I feel so lucky to have the girl I love in my arms.”

Gou never expected to hear those words, not at that moment, and not quite like that. It made her heart beat so loudly it drowned out the wind in the temple pines.

Without answering in words, Gou leaned in to kiss him again, and this time, she wet her lips and kept them soft and open. Cradled in his lap with her arms wrapped around Mikoshiba’s shoulders, Gou felt herself long for him in a way she’d never felt before. She slid a hand to his and put it on her leg, wondering what he’d do with that kind of invitation.

“G-Gou…” The groan against her lips was instant, and so was the shock of feeling her boyfriend’s body react. Good, she didn’t want to be the only one whose body felt that way. Gou didn’t want him to feel self-conscious, either, so she wiggled closer, kissing him again with an open mouth...

It wasn’t long before she felt his hands move, and the gentle, almost reverent brushes of his touch covered her whole body with a soft, hungry burn.

~

“What were you two talking about out there?” Haru pulled out the toothpaste, running his brush under water.

“None of your business,” Rin growled, snitching the toothpaste from Haru. “Hey, I want that shirt again.”

“No. I need to wear Lockjaw-kun tonight, my mind is not at peace.”

“Neither is mine! You’re not the one with a sister who disappeared somewhere with some guy --”

“I’m the one whose best friend disappeared with some guy.”

“Best friend.” Rin snorted softly. “So that’s how you feel about him.”

“More or less.”

“S-so, how do you feel about -- I mean, we never really --”

“Rin. Hand me the towel.”

“Haru, will you just...listen a moment?”

“It should be obvious.”

“It’s just as obvious that you love Makoto so --”

“Rin, does that mean you love me?”

“HANG ON -- who said that I -- we’re talking about you here, after all…”

Haru turned to face him, hands rising to grip Rin’s shoulders, pushing him back against the bathroom wall.

“Rin. What do you want to hear?”

“I mean -- you -- you’re the one that asked me to -- I’m not even --”

Rin’s vision was suddenly filled by a pair of large, liquid eyes, and the hands on his shoulders slid slowly down his arms until they gripped his hands.

Then Haru spoke, evenly and quietly. “Rin. Whenever we swim together, I feel the wake from the water around you touch me. You lead and I follow, wherever you want to go. You’ve shown me something beautiful, and I’m still following. Where else would you like to go? I’ll be right here with you.”

Rin’s mouth hung open at those words, all of those words, and even if they were somehow about swimming the fucking relay, they _weren’t_ at the same time.

“Well. Fuck,” Rin said, looking down, and felt rather than heard Haru’s laugh, because suddenly their chests were against each other and Haru’s lips were on his.

The kiss was so teasing it was like the lick of a sprinkler against sun-heated skin. 

“H-Haru.”

“So. Does that mean you love me?”

“Whatever. Shut up.” Rin’s fingers slid through Haru’s hair and pulled their mouths close again, and this time their tongues slid together in what had to be the most intimate feeling Rin had ever experienced. Letting someone in was tough, letting someone into his FACE was even harder, and the only way he could handle it was because it was Haru.

...Who grabbed him, and was dragging him to bed…

“Oy! Let me brush my --”

“Later.”

Rin’s back hit the bed a moment after. “Oof.” Haru’s body landed on top of his, and mouths met again before he could react. Wait, why was he the one on his back? Exerting force, he rolled them over, throwing a leg over Haru’s hips to pin him.

“Nnh.” One of them made a noise that sounded totally embarrassing, and Rin was uncomfortably certain it was himself. It was because straddling Haru’s pajama-clad body meant he could feel Haru’s growing erection under his butt, and knew that Haru could SEE his half-hard dick even through his underwear.

Haru reached up and tugged them flush again, letting their tongues slide together until Rin wasn’t thinking anymore.

At some point, the kisses turned into necking, and Rin realized he was on his back again. Haru’s mouth was against his adam’s apple, and Haru’s hand was gently stroking his erection through his underwear, far too gently for the need he felt.

“Goddamnit, don’t tease me!”

“That’s the fun part.”

Rin rolled Haru over again, and brought their erections together in an urgent, fabric-covered slide, only to meet calm and knowing eyes.

“You did that on purpose!”

Haru fucking SMIRKED at him. Rin shoved his hand into Haru’s underwear in retaliation, and moved his hand in a slide just as slow, hesitating inside because he was the tiniest bit freaked out to be touching another man’s…

But then Haru’s hand pushed down his underwear too, and suddenly it was not freaky at all but really, really hot. Haru’s face melted into a moaning mess, and Rin was so turned on by the sight of something so unexpected that he couldn’t even kiss him, just jack Haru off while watching his face.

When Haru came, Rin watched as Haru’s eyes closed and his neck arched, and he saw the delicate flutter of a pulse jump to life at the crook of Haru’s neck. Rin covered it with a kiss which turned swiftly into a suck…and felt his body explode a moment later with the taste of Haru’s sweat on his tongue.

It was exactly then that he heard the downstairs door gently slide open, and Rin winced through his haze to hear Mikoshiba’s voice calling up to them.

“I’m taking your sister home, Matsuoka! No need to say goodbye.”

“Good night, brother, and Haruka-senpai!”

“Those are the last voices I wanted to hear right now,” Rin groaned.

“Quit whining.” Haru stretched, his body wriggling against Rin’s, reaching for the tissues.

“-- me too, though.” Rin murmured, feeling the exhaustion from a full month of practicing and competing and winning and finally doing _this_ with Haru washing over him to push him flat against the bed. “What you were talking about earlier, Haru.”

“Oh. That.”

“Yeah. ...About you. Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, as always. I am atama-ga-ippai on Tumblr, add me if you like!
> 
> So what does Akira look like? I mentally cast [Kise from Kuroko no Basket](https://www.google.com/search?q=kuroko+kise&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS549US549&espv=210&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=jro9U8LHDLSssQTjj4HwCA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1095&bih=785), but a little taller.


End file.
